


I Know You Know

by ScriptaHistoriarum



Series: Miraculous Specials [1]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrienette April 2020, F/M, Fluff, Hot Mess Adrien Agreste, I'm back babeh, Identity Reveal, Just read and see, Not So Oblivious Adrien, Partially then, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, adrienette - Freeform, just a tiny bit, lil ladynoir
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-07
Updated: 2020-04-22
Packaged: 2021-03-01 23:14:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,477
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23535130
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ScriptaHistoriarum/pseuds/ScriptaHistoriarum
Summary: Due to an accident, Adrien Agreste finally figures out Ladybug is actually his classmate, Marinette Dupain-Cheng! But... that's great!... Right? And he should tell her immediately. Or... maybe not...For Adrienette April 2020!
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Series: Miraculous Specials [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1693723
Comments: 11
Kudos: 97





	1. Pranks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who's back from the dead after I think... one year? Damn... anyway, I'm a little rusty, but couldn't let this opportunity slip away to get back into writing. I got SO MANY things to catch up from last year, but I'll catch up at my own time. In the meantime, hope you enjoy!

“My Lady, I know we joke around often, but this better not be a prank,” he chokes out, his vision becoming a bit hazy. How could he let this happen? Why did he not notice it sooner? She was a bit tired when she arrived, but she seemed fine.

But the passed out girl in his lap is evidence against that.

She looks peaceful, albeit a bit disheveled. One of her twin tails has fallen out and there is a combination of sand and mud smeared over her right cheek and forehead. He gently wipes it away, afraid he might break more of her.

She’ll probably be fine – she is still breathing and doesn’t seem in pain – but the shock of the entire situation leaves no room for rational thought: Ladybug doesn’t pass out after battle. Ladybug is the strong and steady one out of the two of them, the one handling the ropes. They celebrate their victory post-battle, he tries to ask her out and then she rejects him wittingly before zipping away with her bandalore, leaving him to long for their next meetup. It’s just how it _works_!

He is so focused on the fact that his Ladybug isn’t there to bump his fist that he doesn’t even realize that she _is_ no longer Ladybug, but a regular high school girl with a secret that he should have figured out a long time ago.

A light touch on his cheek shakes him out of his stupor. Looking in the direction of where it came from, he notices Tikki on his left shoulder, looking at him… surprisingly calm.

“She’s tough and will be okay. There are people coming, Adrien. We should go.”

He already hid themselves from view quite a bit, but not so much that they can’t be spotted. He knows she’s right. Getting up with a grunt, he takes the unconscious girl in his arms, letting her head rest on his clavicle. Tikki crawls into one of his cat ears and takes hold of it.

“You do remember where she lives, right?”

That question makes his brows furrow. How can he know that? Their identities are-

Wait… if he’s talking to Tikki then…

Taking another good look at the face of the girl in his arms, the realization _finally_ dawns on him and he forgets the facts that he needs to blink and breathe. Both his eyes and lungs are burning, screaming at him to snap out of it. Or maybe that’s just Tikki urging him to get a move on.

“Do you?”

It takes him a second. One. Two. Three.

_You don’t have time for this. Breathe in, and out. In. Out. In. Out._

“…Yes,” he manages to answer, and then he is on his way. Being Chat Noir has given him knowledge of the city he lives in he never thought he would know. No street is safe from his brain; every little alley and street corner forever carved into his long term memory, no matter how big Paris might seem. It is then no surprise that he arrives at the Dupain-Cheng bakery in no time.

He carefully lands on the balcony that leads to Marinette’s bedroom, taking a second to look at the school not too far away from the house. They had to skip last period in order to fight the Akuma. He wonders if Mlle Bustier will give them an earful tomorrow, but can’t find it within himself to care.

Somehow, he is able to carry her and open the hatch at the same time, dropping her softly in the unmade bed beneath them. Either she is a slob or she was too much in a hurry this morning to make her bed. Knowing her, he opts for the second one.

_But does he actually know her?_

He doesn’t want to get in the room with his boots – because they are undoubtedly dirty – so he sees how far his arms can reach inside to try and tuck her in. Guess he can thank his lean, long arms for once.

“Do you want to wait here for her to wake up? I can imagine you have a few things to say,” the red Kwami says, finally showing a few signs of worry. Perhaps the fact that he hasn’t spoken at all is getting to her. 

The thought to stay is tempting, but he doesn’t want to invade her privacy, especially if she’s unaware of it and not able do anything about it.

“No, that’s okay. I don’t want to scare her when she wakes up. We can talk when she’s feeling better.” His voice sounds foreign to him. He knows they are words he thought of and that the sound he hears is his too, but for some reason he can’t tell if it’s him speaking or someone else.

“All right then. I’ll let her get some rest and then I’ll tell her that you’ve seen her. Then she can let it sink in for little bit before you two-”

“Yes, about that,” Chat Noir interrupts, “can you… not tell her I know? I mean, I think I want to tell her myself. When I’m ready, too.

“Oh.” Tikki is genuinely surprised, but smiles nonetheless. “I guess that is fine. Just don’t… pick a place that is too public, okay? She can get a bit… emotional sometimes, which can make her vocal and panic and… well, we still want to keep your identities on the down low from others, so…”

“I understand. I know how she can be.”

_Does he now?_

_Really?_

Chat Noir stretches his arms above his head, popping a few muscles and only then does he notice that he was bending down the entire time, his back muscles in need of a break. “I suppose it’s time for me to go home then. See if I can slip inside the house and pretend I was home the entire time, although I think it’s going to be tough.”

Tikki smiles at him again, but there is a hint of sadness laced with it. “Good luck, Adrien.”

He returns the tiny creature’s smile, taking one last look at his partner. His classmate. His best friend. His friend that he is just starting to get to know because she has trouble opening up to him for some reason.

They almost seem like two different people to him.

Shaking his head to clear it of thoughts, he takes off with a wave.

_Are they two different people?_

He knows that’s a lie. Just like with him and Chat Noir, the same applies to Marinette and Ladybug: their superhero personas are an extension of who they are. Neither ‘side’ is real or fake. Some personality traits just come up more with the mask or without.

And yet it keeps eating at him.

He always thought he would immediately recognize his Lady the moment he would see her without a mask. It would be impossible, since magic keeps up a barrier, but he remained positive that that wouldn’t stop him. They are partners, best friends; they have a connection no one else could ever have.

However, apparently that connection still wasn’t strong enough to blur that line of hidden identities between them. And well… it stings.

Perhaps they aren’t as close as he likes to believe. He sees her basically every day and he never suspected her once. The realization that he barely knows Marinette, thus barely knows Ladybug, is like a punch to the stomach. It makes him feel sick and uneasy.

He sees he left his window open this morning and silently steps on the rim, letting his transformation drop.

“It’s dangerous to do that there, you know,” is the first thing his Kwami says. “What if you lose your balance at the last second? And don’t get me started on the fact that people could see you.”

Adrien takes the remote control on his desk and closes the window, turning on his stereo at the same time before sitting down on his desk chair and starting up his computer. “I really couldn’t care less at the moment.”

“Hey, what’s the big idea? I don’t allow people to talk to me like that, _especially_ if I’m being nice and giving you advice. Oi, that rhymed! I even offer you free poetry. See, I’m in _such_ a good and giving mood and then you’re just bringing me down with your attitude. Teenagers, man. I wish you would’ve been a few years older, maybe-”

“Ladybug got hurt, I figured out she is Marinette and had to get her home without being able to talk to her, Plagg. So I’m sorry if I’m a little cranky at the moment but I can’t really help it. Sorry.”

That shuts him up instantly, both his eyes and mouth open as wide as they can get. “Oh… I-I didn’t know. I don’t really… stay up to date on what happens once you transform, so…”

“It’s all right, I know you don’t.” Adrien drags his hands down his face, only now realizing how tired he feels.

“Want to talk about it?” Plagg proposes.

“Not really,” he answers, shaking his head. “I shouldn’t have raised my voice, by the way. I’m just a little frustrated.”

Plagg nods. “I can understand. But, you know, next time, instead of taking it out on me, take it out on your dad! He could use a good yelling at. Especially since he’s probably going to interrogate you about why you skipped class. Give him a taste of his own medicine!” He twirls around, his tail and ears standing up straight in agitation.

Adrien laughs. “I guess I have to face him sometime this evening. Might as well be now.”

He knows Plagg is just trying to get his mind off the situation. His Kwami means well (most of the time), he just isn’t good with words and feelings. This is his way of offering support.

Giving Plagg one quick scratch before getting up to face the devil he calls father, Adrien thinks that – no matter what might happen – he knows he already has one great best friend by his side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I started this a little late because I wasn't sure if I wanted to start up writing again, but I finally pushed myself to do it and I only now realized how much I missed it! (The only thing I didn't miss was painful fingers because I smash my keyboard too hard but I digress). I'm just gonna try to enjoy myself doing this, and now that I have time on my hands, I think it will also be a lot easier for me to catch up, while also catching up on so many other stories ugh... but I'll be fine :')


	2. #Marinettechallenge

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slowly catching up :) I'll get there!

After a tiresome night, filled with tossing and turning, ceiling staring and trips to the bathroom to drink water, he is _so_ not ready for school. Marinette will probably not be there, Tikki would never let her. So when he enters the classroom, what catches his eyes first is not what he expects.

There she is, in her usual seat, next to her friend Alya. She laughs loudly at something that is being said to her by Alix, who is leaning on her from behind. It seems like Marinette doesn’t have a care in the world. Almost as if nothing happened yesterday, the only remnant a bandage that is wrapped neatly around her head.

All the while his entire world is upside down.

“Are you just gonna stand there making googly eyes at the girls all day, Agreste?” Kim’s voice booms through the classroom, making everyone stare at him, then at Adrien. A few giggles emerge from Alya and Alix.

“See something you like, Adrien?” Alya teases with a wink.

Alix joins her by shaking her behind at him. “Want a piece of this?”

Adrien can’t fight the reddening of his cheeks, but laughs along anyway before taking his seat next to Nino, who eyes him with a chuckle.

“Are you all right, dude? I mean, if you want to share Alya you just have to ask!” Nino slaps a hand on his shoulder with a wide grin.

“I wasn’t staring at her, man. I would never.”

“I know that, I’m just kidding, jeez. Have some sense of humor.” It doesn’t seem like there is any irritation behind his words. “Who was it then?”

He notices Nino is eyeing Alya carefully, who in turn very _nonchalantly_ leans a little toward them, obviously wanting to overhear the conversation.

“Whose side are you on?” Adrien asks, raising an eyebrow at him and then turns to Alya. “I refuse to be part of your girl gossip, for your information.”

Alya shrugs. “I have no idea what you mean. But now that we’re on the topic anyway… Got something to share with the class?” He’s seen that look before. Reporter Alya Mode: Activated. He will not give her the satisfaction though.

“Isn’t it obvious? I was worried about Marinette. I wondered what happened to her since she has a bandage.”

 _That was surprisingly easy to come up with._ _That should shake her off._

“So you admit you were looking at Marinette then,” Alix joins in.

“Oh, you’re right!” Alya is practically beaming.

“Guys, stop it,” Marinette says with a blush, at last taking part in the conversation. She directs her gaze at him. “Thank you for worrying, Adrien, but I’m okay. I just hit my head last night. It’s not too bad.”

“Well, if you need anything I’m here for you,” he says with a smile.

_That’s the only thing I can do anyway._

“Thanks, I appreciate it.”

The last bell rings and Mlle Bustier claps her hands together to gather attention. Everyone instantly returns to their seats, obediently collecting their notebooks and other school supplies.

He hears hushed whispers behind him. He can’t make out everything, but there is one part that piques his interest.

“Girl, you were so very _smooth_ with him. You’re usually not like that!”

“I’m better lately! Besides, it’s not like the conversation was weird or awkward. He was just being sweet.”

“Oh, you bet it was sweet. I’m sure you were all-”

“Please, Alya, just drop it.”

He was actually wondering about that since yesterday. Marinette is quite popular and loved. She is strong-willed and determined, doesn’t take the attitude from people like Chloé or Lila, but also knows how to avoid a fight. She is maybe a little shy sometimes, but all together… quite extroverted and socially-skilled.

Then… is it just him? Is there something wrong with him? What is the reason why he is the only one she can’t talk to?

He’s not imagining it, he’s sure of it. He always felt like she acts a little odd with him compared to her behavior with other people, and how she is with him as Ladybug in contrast as Marinette plus the conversation he just overheard… it is apparently a huge feat for her to talk to him.

Is he really _that_ intimidating to her? That’s ridiculous! Utterly-

_Yeah, let’s **not** go there._

* * *

It’s just a little past lunch time. Their class has a free period at the moment, so some people took the liberty of taking a longer lunch break, while others use it as a good time to study, Adrien being one of them. Nino is out with Alya and a few others. Marinette wanted to join them, but Alya insisted that she stay at school. Despite her protests and yells of “I’m fine!” her friend wouldn’t let up. She might be well enough to go to school, but she should still avoid as much excitement as possible, and Adrien can’t agree more.

Thus Marinette is sulking at one of the study tables in the library area, occasionally looking at her phone to shuffle her playlist then putting it down again. There is a biology book in front of her yet it is pretty clear no studying is taking place.

Adrien kind of feels for her. His attention keeps wandering off to her, so he supposes he should stop trying to keep it to the books and maybe join her to at least try to amuse her.

_Until you will undoubtedly give her a heart attack. She will not be willing to talk to you. You will make **Ladybug** upset, too. _

Will he do more damage by talking to her? Should he just leave her be?

_Why is everything so confusing! Yesterday, it was all so simple!_

He takes another look at Marinette, seeing she has dozed off, a little drool coming down her lips. In the meantime, the group that ventured outside returns, a little rowdy, but easily quieted down by other students shushing them. Their eyes all zero in on Marinette sleeping and he already sees alarm bells ringing.

_Oh no. Poor Marinette._

Don’t get him wrong, their class is really nice and friendly… but they don’t shy away from a prank or two.

All too soon, pictures are being taken, all of them posing with sweet, unsuspecting Marinette.

“Adrien, come over, you need to join in!”

“Yeah, we’re gonna make this trending on Instagram!”

“Guys, not so loud, we’re gonna wake her up.”

“And I don’t know… maybe people are trying to study here? Just saying.”

That last one did not come from one of his classmates, the poor boy only getting one of Alya’s patented death glares.

Adrien reluctantly steps toward them, if only to make them stop disturbing the peace. “Guys, don’t be mean. Just let her sleep,” he tries.

“Nuh-uh, you’re here so you will join our cult,” Alix taunts, wiggling her fingers. “So grab your phone and take a pic with her. We named it #marinettechallenge. It’s going to be hilarious.”

“Fine,” Adrien relents. “I’ll take the picture, but I’m not going to share it.”

“Maybe that’s for the best, you have too many followers,” Alya agrees. “It’s just a joke, gotta keep it fun.”

Adrien takes his obligatory picture, then steps away. “There, happy?”

“Very,” Alix grins.

Shaking his head, Adrien returns to his spot at one of the study tables, gathering his stuff that he left behind. The period is almost over, so anymore studying is not going to happen anyway.

Unlocking his phone, he goes to _Photos_ , ready to delete the picture he took, but on a second thought…

She looks kind of sweet and dainty like that, her hands folded on the table with her head on top of it, squishing her cheek. His head is lightly resting atop of her, barely touching. It looks… cute, he admits. You can see it’s rushed by the blurriness of the picture, but it’s still a pretty nice picture.

He puts his phone away in his pocket, a smile on his face that doesn’t seem to disappear the entire day.


	3. Multimouse and Adrien

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not too happy with this one... oh well ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

Adrien’s shoulders heave as he pants. He’s hiding behind a closed store, his back resting against the brick wall.

“This is insane!” Plagg exclaims as he escapes from the confines of Adrien’s shirt, which is probably drenched in sweat right now.

“Couldn’t agree with you more, buddy,” Adrien manages to get out. He bends down to press his hands against his knees, trying to regain his composure.

“You’ve transformed _three times_ already in the span of forty minutes. You can’t keep switching between Adrien and Chat Noir like that, it will be too much eventually.”

While it might sound like Plagg is only complaining, Adrien knows he is more worried than anything. Overusing a Miraculous only leads to bad things. If the wearer is not strong enough…

But there is no time to think about that now.

“I know that, I really do. But I don’t have much of a choice.” He looks around the corner to see if the coast is clear. When he gives the Plagg the affirmative, they stealthily start their trek to the alley in their field of vision. “I keep needing to use Cataclysm, and the Akuma is after _me_ , so whenever I de-transform and they see me, I barely get the opportunity to escape. I’m just glad Lady Luck is on my side, _literally_.”

“And not only her. I’ve seen Multimouse, too,” Plagg mentions.

Adrien laughs. “It’s honestly crazy I didn’t see it was her before. It’s so obvious now!”

“I just think it’s crazy that she keep using multiple Miraculous’ despite the warnings Fu must have given her until… before she became the Guardian.” Plagg hides that little bit of sadness that is edging to the surface, but Adrien knows how he really feels about it. “Just because she has the box doesn’t mean that she can do whatever she wants with it.”

“My Lady has trouble trusting people, so she wants to do most of the job herself. Besides, she ‘gave’ Marinette the Mouse Miraculous before, so in this case she has to pick herself.”

“Luka and you have shared the Snake Miraculous before, I don’t see why she can’t share with someone else,” Plagg harrumphs.

“Good point. Although I guess it doesn’t matter anymore, look!”

Ladybug releases the Akuma somewhere down the street and turns to the formerly-akumatized person who is scratching their head, obviously confused.

“Hi, I’m Ladybug. How are you doing?”

“I-I’m fine. I… what happened? The last thing I can remember is that I was talking to a girl from school about… some famous dude… Adrien Agreste I think his name was?” Squinting their eyes in thought, they are suddenly filled with a venomous fire. “Oh, I remember now! She was being totally rude, saying I could never end up as famous as him, so I wanted to prove that…”

Ladybug puts a hand on their shoulder. “It’s okay, what happened, happened. We just need to learn to move on. And also don’t listen to people who try to bring us down.”

They smile. “You’re absolutely right! Next time, I won’t give Lila Rossi a time of day!”

She frowns. “Lila Rossi, huh? Should have known…”

“Ladybug?” They cock their head with a puzzled expression.

“Anyway!” Ladybug steps away from the person with a forced smile. “Just don’t get in anymore trouble and try to remain positive! Bug out!”

And then she’s gone.

Adrien sprints in the direction she went as subtly as possible.

“What is your plan?” Plagg asks from in between his hair. “You’re gonna talk to her? Tell her you know?”

“I don’t know…I just want to talk to her. Maybe I know what to say once I see her.”

That is not the case.

Despite her being very careful about not being followed, he still manages to catch her behind the school. Maybe he can say he saw her de-transform?

Although he can’t because she is neither Ladybug nor Marinette now, but Multimouse.

“Marinette,” he breathes out.

She gasps and turns to him, her eyes wide.

“Adrien!”

A few awkward seconds pass, neither sure what to say.

“Hi.” Adrien eventually says, waving lamely.

“…Hi.” She waves in return.

_Well, this is sure going great!_

“…Did you need anything? I can get Ladybug quickly!” She is about to sprint away, but Adrien stops her by taking her wrist.

“I… know it’s you, Marinette. You don’t have to pretend anymore.”

Her pupils dilate and he feels her shaking. “Y-y-you know?”

Adrien frowns, then sighs and lets her go.

_I will kick myself for this later._

“I mean that I know you’re Multimouse! I mean it’s kind of obvious… cool that Ladybug picked you. It’s like a once in a lifetime dream come true, right?”

He instantly sees her relax. Multimouse smiles at him. “R-Right. Yup, it’s me. But… oh no! Now that you know I can never be Multimouse again! And this happened last time with Chat Noir! Ugh!” She smacks her own forehead a few times. “I guess I really am hopeless. Ladybug wanted to give me a second chance, but I blew it once again. Maybe I’m not cut out for this…”

“Where is Ladybug anyway?”

“I don’t know! Uhm… I mean, I am waiting for her, so maybe you should go before she sees you. I don’t want to make her wait.”

“Oh! Yes, of course. Sure. And… thank you, for helping with the Akuma today. It was me they were after, so… you really helped me out. You’re not as bad as you think, Marinette.”

“Multimouse,” she corrects him, sticking her tongue out. “You can’t let other people know who I am, despite that this will probably be the last time anyway… but yeah… you’re welcome!”

Adrien gives her a wink and turns with a wave. “See you some other time, _Multimouse_.”

He turns the corner so she is out of sight, then opts for returning to class. Mlle Bustier must be worried sick about him.

“So you didn’t tell her,” Plagg says, popping up once again from Adrien’s hair. “I can’t say I agree with that, but I guess the timing would have been little off. Maybe it’s for the best for now, but you can’t keep on pretending you don’t know. It’ll only cause trouble in the end.”

“I know! I just… need to find the right moment.”

“Is there ever a right moment to say something like this?”

“Perhaps not, but… I have to make it as perfect as possible. I don’t want to lose her.”

“This is not a love confession, you know?”

“No, but I did betray her trust. She didn’t want us to know, so-”

“Hey, you had no choice. It just happened. If you can deal with it, she can deal with it alongside you. Tikki only picks strong bugs, so I’m sure she can handle it, and if not, tough. You two are a team, so you better act like one.”

“Jeez, Plagg. I didn’t know you were so passionate about this. Could it be…”

“No, it can’t be-”

“You just want to see Tikki again, don’t you?”

“No!”

“You miss her! You totally do!

“I do _not_!”

“Look at you, I didn’t even know you could blush like that!”

“Shut up!”


	4. Party

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is both Day 4. Hand Touches and Day 5. Statue, although they're a little subtle. See if you can find them! :)

“All right, peeps, let’s get this party started!” Alya exclaims with a grin, raising the few bags of chips she has in her hands. Kim and Alix eye it hungrily and she tosses them in their direction for them to catch. They’re like a pair of wild wolves fighting over their prey, but eventually Kim is victorious, using his superior length to hold the bags out of her reach.

“Not fair, dude!”

“Children, children, play nice,” Nino steps in. “Haven’t we learned how to share?”

The two glare at each other for a few seconds until they give up and Kim hands the bags to Nino. “Fine,” they sigh in unison.

“Thanks! Now there’s more for me!” Nino runs off with an evil laugh and Kim and Alix immediately follow with yells of protests.

“Aren’t you afraid they will tear down the place?” Max asks Alya, both in the kitchen area. “There is a 67,183 percent chance that-”

“Tsk, I’ve babysat my sisters _and_ Nino’s little brother. There’s nothing I can’t handle. Besides, the moment they step out of line, you bet there will be some scolding and whooping of a-”

“All right, all right, you made your point,” Max relents. “I honestly can’t believe your parents are letting you have a party while they are gone with your sisters. They must really trust you.”

“Well… there might be a case of ‘not telling them’ and such… but what they don’t know can’t hurt them!” She says with a tap to her nose. “If I just keep everything clean and the way it was before they left, then I’ll be fine.”

“Good luck with that,” Max answers with a wince, hearing more of a ruckus and yelling from the hallway where the trio from before went.

Alya sighs. “I’ll take care of it.”

Adrien shakes his head with a laugh at the scene happening in front of him. “Honestly, how does Alya keep up with all of this?”

“She is something else, that’s for sure,” Marinette answers him, despite that he was talking to himself. She takes a seat next to him on the couch and hands him one out of the two glasses of soda she is carrying. “If anyone is a superhero in this room, it’s certainly her,” she laughs.

Adrien laughs along, although a bit forced. “Yeah, definitely…”

The music continues loudly through the apartment, and he wonders if there will be complaints from neighbors. However, knowing Alya she has probably already thought of that.

There is a bowl of popcorn in front of them on the coffee table and both go for it at the same time. Their hands touch, and they return to them so quickly as if they touched hot iron. They don’t talk for a few minutes, quietly sipping on their drink, each facing the other way.

“It’s a very nice party,” he says to break the ice.

“Yeah, Alya throws the best parties,” she agrees.

“Uh-huh.”

And then it’s silent again.

_We have nothing to say to each other, do we? I really don’t know her at all…_

“How is your soda?” She asks.

“Good.” He takes another sip. “Yes, still good. Yours?”

“Same.”

Quiet once again.

_Oh my **GOD** I got to turn this conversation around._

He turns himself a little bit in her direction and opens his mouth to speak… but he doesn’t know what to say.

_Why am I suddenly feeling so nervous? I’m making her feel awkward. She’s looking at me like I’m crazy, am I staring at her intensely? I probably am. Dang it! Okay, be cool, take deep breaths. It will be fine. Don’t make her panic… don’t make **yourself** panic…_

“Are you okay?” She asks worriedly, putting a hand on his knee.

“Yes! Totally! I-I just uhm… I kind of wanted to talk to you for a while now and I don’t really know how to start the conversation…”

“O-Oh. I see. Uhm, what it is about?”

“Well, I… kind of know something about you that I shouldn’t, but I can’t live with myself if you don’t know that _I_ know, so I just want to tell you that I know so that you know that I know and then you know that-”

Her eyes widen. “A-Adrien you’re not really making sense…”

_Nice going, Agreste. We agreed to not make her panic!_

“…but I think I know what you’re talking about,” she continues, “and if you’re not going to give me the answer I would _like_ per se, then maybe we should just not discuss it and just pretend nothing happened, okay?”

_Wait, what?_

“What are you talking about?”

“I’m going to have a little bit of fresh air,” she says hurriedly and then gets up with her soda, leaving him to gape at her as she opens the sliding doors to the balcony and steps outside, then closing them. She leans on the railing with one hand, shaking her head in what seems like frustration.

_What in the world is she talking about?_

He thinks he should leave her to herself, but a selfish part of him wants to know what’s going on despite that and follows her outside, leaving his drink behind. When he opens the sliding doors, he can almost _feel_ her hairs standing up. She remains still like a statue, not giving him any attention whatsoever. It’s dark out, with the late hour, and she basically blends in with the night except for her bright pink polka dot tank top she’s wearing.

“Marinette, can we-”

“I’m f-fine, Adrien. Really.”

He sees her shiver and takes off the denim jacket he is wearing. “Here, take this. You must be freezing.”

“B-But I don’t want you to get cold either!” She finally looks at him now, the fact that he puts her needs above his own making her forget about the situation for a second.

Adrien smiles. “I’m still wearing a long-sleeved shirt, I’ll be okay.” She accepts it eventually, putting her soda down to put it on, and then taking the glass again. She does keep staring at him to check up if he gets cold. “Can we try talking again?”

Marinette shrugs. “I suppose.”

“To be honest,” he starts, “I have literally no idea what you were talking about inside. So, if you could just take your time explaining what all that rambling was?”

She takes a deep breath, but doesn’t say anything.

_Fine. He just has to get it out of her._

“Okay, then I’ll start…”

What does he want to say anyway?

“…I know I have been a little off the past days. I just… don’t really know how to act around you at the moment,” Adrien admits. “So there’s that, I guess.”

“Why?” She asks, looking at him with both brows lifted up. “You never had any trouble with talking to me before.”

“True. Although, I guess no trouble isn’t really correct either. You aren’t really making it easy, you know?”

Marinette blushes and looks the other way, putting a stray hair behind her ear. “Y-you’ve noticed that, huh?”

“Am I really that intimidating? Is there something wrong with me?”

_Just rip the band aid off immediately. Twisting around it won’t make it any easier._

“No, Adrien! Nothing is wrong with you!”

“Then what _is_ it?” He almost sounds exasperated, he knows that, but he needs to know. If his Lady thinks anything badly of him, he wants to change that. “If you have any issue with me, just tell me so we can fix it together. You’re a great friend to me, Marinette, I don’t want to ruin that because you couldn’t tell me what I was doing wrong.”

“You’re not doing anything wrong, I swear! It’s not you, it’s me.”

Adrien frowns at her. “That never really means what it means.”

“In this case it does, really!”

“Then tell me what’s on your mind. I don’t want to push you, honestly, but I can’t help but feel like I’m doing something wrong with you, and it’s not a nice feeling. I want to do something about it, but I can’t if you won’t tell me.”

It’s not even the fact that he is apparently upsetting Ladybug. Marinette herself has always been dear to him. He wants to remain _her_ friend.

“Oh my God, how did this conversation even end up here?” She whispers to herself. “I gotta tell him now, don’t I? Otherwise I can’t even be his friend. He will never talk to me again!”

“What? No, I would never-”

She addresses him again. “Okay, okay, I… made up my mind.”

Adrien looks at her expectantly. “I’m listening.”

“If there would really be one thing you’re doing wrong then it would be calling me your friend. I don’t… like that.”

He squints his eyes in confusion. “So… you don’t want to be my friend anymore? Like, stop talking and such?”

_Did she really think that badly of him?_

“No!” She shakes her head frantically. “That’s not what I mean, it’s the total opposite. I don’t like it when you call me your friend because I want to be _more_ than… just your friend.”

_More than just your-_

_Oh… Oh!_

“W-wait… for real?!”

She nods, not looking him in the eye. “I… I’ve wanted to confess so many times, but it was never the right time, or I got too nervous… and I know how you felt about Kagami at the time, so I was fine with moving on, but… it’s still a little hard sometimes…”

“Kagami and I didn’t work out. That was a year ago. And we weren’t even technically together like that.”

“Sure seemed like it,” she grumbles.

He has to admit, it was like that to everyone except for the actual two people involved. Kagami was very clear with her intentions and Adrien was willing to see where things would go, but it felt… forced. Almost too perfect. They really were good together, but it didn’t _feel_ good. Kagami noticed it too and in her own blunt way told him to listen to his heart.

His heart told him there was only one person for him.

They were very public about it. No one will think there is anything left between them. He knows Kagami is a little upset still – they don’t hang out as often anymore, which is prove of that – but he also knows that she respects him enough to never push him to do something he doesn’t want. They’re still friends, but there is a certain distance between them, which he is fine with.

But it’s also a little disheartening… what if the same thing happens between Marinette and him?

“Were you really willing to move on without ever telling me how you felt?” He asks her when he realizes they haven’t spoken for a few minutes.

Marinette shrugs her shoulders and looks down at her shoes. “Why would I even bother? Why in the world would you ever go out with me?”

Adrien frowns. Did she really think that lowly of herself? She’s usually _so_ confident, both as Ladybug and Marinette. It is only with him that…

…He will always be the problem, won’t he?

“Ask me then. Otherwise you’ll never know.”

Her stare at him is puzzled, but it takes her only a few seconds to understand the meaning of his words, and she turns her gaze to her almost empty glass of soda, a light blush dusting her cheeks. “Why would you go out with me?”

“Because I think you’re kind,” he begins. “You’re very passionate in everything you do. You can be awkward sometimes, but you own it like nobody else can,” he chuckles at that, relieving her of her own tension too and making her laugh. “You always know what to bring to school to feed the entire class, myself included, so my stomach thanks you. And frankly, you’re not really that hard to keep looking at, if that means anything to you.”

Her tiny blush has covered her entire face now, even going down her neck. He kind of wants to tease her with it, but knows that’s probably not a good idea. “W-wow, I had no idea… Does this m-mean you want to ask me out?”

He sees that little bit of hope in her eyes, and it pains him because he doesn’t want to hurt her feelings. However, he knows that they can’t do that right now.

“…Not yet. I mean, I’d love to! I…ugh, how do I say this right?!”

That hopeful gleam has already disappeared from her eyes and he curses himself. She squeezes the now empty glass, making her knuckles turn white. “You don’t have to lie to spare my feelings, Adrien. If you don’t want to then you don’t want to.”

“But I do, I really do! It’s just that… I need a moment, I guess. Need to get my mind straight. I can’t really explain…”

_Coward! Just tell her what’s going on._

“…So, if you will give me a little bit of time, then I’ll take you up on that offer. Just not now. Is that okay?”

Marinette nods, taking in the information in silence until she looks at him again, this time with a real smile. “Deal.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I personally like to implement the prompts in a more subtle way than just say... having them hold hands or look at a statue (in case of these prompts). However, I have to admit these two were REALLY subtle lol.
> 
> I'll try to get 'Aspik and Marinette' out tomorrow!


	5. Aspik & Marinette

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So.... I did intend to write but then I got the new Animal Crossing and.. yeah, people who play it will understand lmao.  
> Anyway, new chapter here! Tried to make it a little longer as consolation for the wait :)

This week is getter worse by the day.

The school is covered in darkness, except for the bright lights of phone screens turned on for sight. While no one is sure what exactly is happening, everyone assumes it is an Akuma. All natural source of light has disappeared, including plugged electronics, but luckily phones still work. Following protocol, no one is to move and must remain in their assigned classrooms. This makes it very difficult for Adrien to escape and protect the city, especially since he sees Marinette anxiously rubbing her hands together while staring at the door, meaning neither one of them is there to save _anyone_. They haven’t even had the chance to see what the Akuma is.

While they can make good use of the darkness, everyone is – _because_ of the darkness – paying close attention to each other, thus escape is basically impossible. It’s not even that dark anymore with all the phones lit up, so their absence will be noticed.

He is leaning against the wall near the entrance now – Marinette, Nino and Alya next to him. Nino is telling a story Alya is quite invested in, but neither Marinette nor he is paying attention. He doesn’t blame either one of them though. They both know where they are needed, where they should _be_. And yet they’re here, waiting out the attack.

Everything has been such a mess ever since Master Fu left.

_No time to think about that now._

“Are you okay?” Adrien asks, trying to be the kind, worried friend. While he understands _why_ she is so on edge, he must not let her know yet. They just had their upgrade to kind-of-more-than-a-friend-but-not-as-of-yet, so any secret identity conversations have to wait. He doesn’t want to scare her off.

Besides… he kind of likes getting to know her like this, without that wall between them.

While he doesn’t think she will hate him and take away his Miraculous once he tells her, he does think that if their identities come into play, it will interfere with the friendship they have built up now. He _just_ managed to make her talk normally to him. They need to take this step by step.

He will tell her.

Eventually.

“I’m fine,” she answers. “Just a little nervous about the whole situation. With the darkness and stuff, it’s kind of like horror movie, huh?” She chuckles at the end of her sentence, but he feels there is no humor behind it. And although she is for sure fibbing to him, there is a slight truth to her words.

“I remember you not being fond of horror movies,” he mentions. “If you get scared just tell me. I-if you need a hug or… something. You know. I’ll… be there.”

_Wow. That sounded heroic._

“Thank you, Adrien.” She blushes and faces away from him. While that has always bothered him, it now only makes him smile. Because now if _finally_ makes sense.

Just talking openly about things really works.

_But what about-_

_That’s another thing entirely, so shut up, brain._

“Ugh, are we really just going to sit here?” Chloé complains. “We’ve been here doing nothing for the past one and a half hour.”

“And what are _you_ gonna do?” Alix retorts. “Even if we leave, there isn’t anything we can do. It’s pitch black out there!”

Chloé scoffs. “Have you forgotten that I’m Queen Bee? I can find a way to fix this mess.”

“And have _you_ forgotten that you no longer are Queen Bee?” Alya joins in. “Ladybug is so not gonna pick you anymore after that whole fiasco a few months ago.”

“Like anyone remembers anything from that,” she waves off.

“Ladybug does,” Marinette grumbles to herself, but Adrien can hear her. She shrinks in on herself, folding her arms together and looks at the floor with a frown.

Adrien puts a hand on her shoulder with an encouraging smile. She might not understand what it’s for, but he hopes she just accepts the comfort.

She does, her frown quickly turning into a slight smile.

Mlle Bustier claps her hands. “Children, please, I know everyone is frustrated with the current situation, but we have to remain calm and kind to each other. Ladybug and Chat Noir will soon have this over with and then you can all go home, just have a little more patience, all right?”

Adrien cringes.

_Well, that can take a while…_

“I think someone should still go out there. Maybe someone is stuck somewhere or hurt, and if everyone is sitting still where they are, they’ll never get help!” Alya exclaims.

“I agree!” Rose says. “We need to help them!

“You don’t even know if someone’s hurt. You could be going out and endanger yourself for nothing.” Juleka mumbles to her girlfriend, just for her to hear.

“If someone’s going out, who should it be then?”

“Me!” Kim says proudly, shining the light of his phone directly on his face. “I am fast and strong, I’ll be sure to save someone if they need me.”

Caline groans. “Kids, please…”

“It should be me!”

Everyone turns into the direction of the exclamation, which belongs to the holder of the pink phone light.

“…I’m class representative,” Marinette continues. “I might not have the responsibility for other classes, but… since you guys are all safe, I want to help someone else. If Mlle Bustier allows it?” She turns hopefully towards the teacher, putting on her best puppy dog eyes she can muster in the dark.

Mlle Bustier sighs. “I don’t like it one bit. However… I actually want to check up on other students as well… but I also can’t just leave you here, it would cost me my job. All right then, Marinette, you can leave. But I don’t want you to go by yourself. Bring someone along, do a quick round around the school, then return immediately, okay?”

Marinette nods with wide eyes. “Of course! Uhm… Adrien?”

“M-ME!? Ahum… me?”

She looks at him with one eyebrow raised. “Yes? Is that okay?”

Adrien swallows, then nods. “Y-Yeah. Let’s go.”

_Is she… trying to tell me something? Or does she just trust me as Adrien?_

_…Or maybe she just thinks I’m easy to get rid of so she can transform… either way, works for me!_

After a few encouraging words from classmates, the two are outside roaming the deserted hallways. They see light coming from certain classrooms, so they leave those alone, knowing that it’s just another class waiting out the Akuma attack. They aim the little light they have in corners and edges of the hallways, meanwhile listening for someone in trouble.

“Nothing so far,” Marinette says. She seems to think for a second, then makes a thoughtful sound. “Maybe we should go inside a restroom? A lot of people get stuck in there during Akuma.”

Adrien almost wants to laugh out loud at how obvious she is being right now, but doesn’t want to call her out on it either. He just chuckles quietly to himself for now. They can laugh about it later. “That’s fine by me. Better be quick though, we promised we’d stay together.”

“What if someone goes in and the other stays guard on the outside until the other comes back?” She proposes.

Adrien shakes his head in amusement. “Sure, whatever makes you feel comfortable.”

“Are you okay? You’re being a little weird,” Marinette mentions with a questioning look on her face.

“I’m okay. Are you?”

Marinette takes another second to look at him then shakes her head. “I’ll go first. You stay here.”

“Aye-aye,” he grins.

Marinette goes into the girls’ restroom without another word, leaving Adrien by himself. He wants to wait for her, but he knows she’s not coming back.

_I shouldn’t waste any more time._

“Plagg?” He whispers.

No answer.

“Plagg, it’s safe. You can come out.”

Still no response.

“Plagg?”

He taps his body to feel for his Kwami. Maybe he fell asleep?

But no such luck. There is no Kwami to be found.

“Why now all times?!” Adrien groans. “All right, okay, it’s cool. Just need to think. Did he say something at the start of class? Is he in my locker? He must be, right?”

It can’t hurt to look, so Adrien starts his trek to the locker area.

He doesn’t expect to bump into someone – literally.

“Ouch!” Curses a female voice.

“I’m really sorry! It’s so dark here and I…”

_Wait a minute…_

He lifts up his phone and then he reveals the squinting eyes of Ladybug, her hand blocking out the bright light.

“Could you please not do that? I don’t want to go blind.”

“Right! Apologies.” He lowers his phone to their chest height, so he is still able to see her a little bit.

“What are you doing here, Adrien? Shouldn’t you be at the re- in the classroom with your classmates? You know, safe?” While she tries to scold him, he sees that she can’t fight a smile.

“Just looking out for people in need of help. But I guess you can handle that plenty.”

“Of course,” she nods. “However… I haven’t seen Chat Noir yet. And while his night vision would come in handy right now… I can’t wait for him, this has been going on for too long. And I need help, so if you want to help… wanna try the Snake Miraculous again?”

“What?”

“I know I usually do this more officially but there is just no time. Just… here!” She hands him a tiny box. He gently touches around it and recognizes it as a Miraculous box, most probably containing the Snake Miraculous.

_How does she have this on her?! I’m gonna ask her about this one day…_

“Are you sure?”

“Like I said, no time. Just… help me out using this and then promise to give it back at the end? Please?” She blinks at him while pouting, and while it looks more comical than cute, it does have effect.

_Don’t do it. Chat Noir will be way handier than Aspik. Say no! Say you’re too scared!_

“Of course I’ll help.”

_Idiot!_

Adrien continues despite his thoughts. “What do you want me to do?”

“I’ve seen the Akuma. They’re the only source of light basically, so not hard to find once we’re outside. Just transform and I’ll lead the way. I have a plan.”

* * *

Adrien is somewhere far away from Ladybug when the tiny ladybugs fly up into the sky and bring back the light. He squints his eyes and groans, needing to get used to it for second, but eventually manages to make his way back to her location, but she is already gone.

“What? Where is she?”

He ducks back inside the school before anyone can see him, hoping to find her waiting somewhere for him. He doesn’t just only need to give her back the Miraculous, but he also needs to find Plagg still!

Aspik does find her quickly, but not how he wants to. Marinette emerges from the restroom she ‘hid’ in and gasps when she sees him, both her hands covering her mouth in absolute shock.

_Did she… did she really forget about taking back my Miraculous?_

While it’s partly laughable, it also worries him. She’s been getting more and more scatterbrained ever since she became the Guardian. He knows she has a lot on her plate she doesn’t want to talk about with him, neither as Chat Noir nor Adrien. He just hopes that she can confine in Tikki when she needs to and if it gets really bad… that she does eventually turn to him.

“…You’re new,” she says, obviously trying to remain calm, but slightly failing.

“Kind of…” He scratches the back of his neck with a laugh. “Are you okay? Do you need any help getting back to class?”

Marinette thinks for a second then shakes her head. “No, I’m good.” She answers. She is already a lot calmer now and Adrien is sure she has thought of something to fix the situation. “I was just about to head for the restroom, so…”

Adrien decides to tease her. _Just_ a smidge. “But didn’t you just come out of that? You need to go again?”

Marinette blushes then pouts her lips, crosses her arms and huffs. “Tch, you don’t get to make fun of tiny bladders. What a hero you are!”

“Right, that was rude of me,” he manages to get out between his chuckles. “Well, then I leave you to it Mlle Tiny Bladder. Try not to pee your pants!”

He hears her astounded yells as he runs off to the hallway near the locker room area, hoping Marinette will meet him there soon as Ladybug. He feels bad for not being able to help her as his original alter ego, especially since today was very messy in so many ways… but maybe also kind of fun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not too sure when I'll be able to post again since I have things to do for university, but I'll try to make it as quick as possible. Everyone have a lovely day! Stay healthy and happy! :)


	6. Letters

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> UGH WHY AM I WRITING SO SLOOOOWWWW
> 
> *ahum* sorry, had to get that out of my system. My initial plan was to be at prompt 13 today and... I'm barely half way there. But it's fine... I guess... *pouts*

“I want to remind you all once again that if you’re truly uncomfortable with it, you don’t have to do the exercise, but I do think that it can be refreshing and relieving, and I do hope you want to participate. Remember, we’re typing on the tablets so no one can recognize your handwriting, you can keep it as anonymous as you’d like. Just take your time since you have until the end of class.” Mlle Bustier ends with a sweet smile, sitting down again at her desk. “If you have any questions or need a moment, don’t hesitate to let me know.”

Adrien sighs as he starts opening up the _Documents_ app on his school tablet. He doesn’t mind the exercise at all – it will probably even be good for him, but he’s always had trouble expressing himself and doesn’t think a letter will make a difference.

_Write whatever you need to get off your chest, and someone random will read your letter._

Akuma attacks have been coming along more frequently and the tension it’s been causing in the city is palpable. School and work environments are now checking in more often with people to see how they’re handling it, but it isn’t always easy to express yourself, so companies and schools have to try different methods. Anonymous letters are what their school is currently using.

_What do I even write about? I experience Akuma way differently than others… and I don’t really want to write about home…_

He’s been feeling the pressure of course, but nothing he experiences could even remotely compare to how Marinette must be feeling. He really wants her to share more of the responsibility of being the new Guardian with him, but that can only happen if he tells her what he knows. And for some reason… he just can’t seem to tell her. It’s him that’s holding himself back, but he can’t seem to figure out _why_.

_What to write, what to write…_

Write about the pressure of needing to be there for others?

Write about a parent who keeps expecting the best from you and settles for no less?

Write about a _tiny friend_ who really needs to learn that randomly leaving his side to go on a cheese raid is unacceptable?

Write about girl trouble? Can he even call his situation with Marinette girl trouble?

Despite that there are multiple things on his mind that he could write about, there is only one thing that always pops up every single day. He decides that’s the only thing he wants to write down.

_For who may read it,_

_I miss my mom._

_That’s all._

* * *

“All right, if everything went well, you should be getting a letter in your inbox right now. I put it on randomize, so you can get anyone’s letter and you shouldn’t get your own.”

Adrien opens his inbox as asked and starts reading the letter he received. After a few sentences, he thinks he has figured out who the writer is, and if his hunch is correct… then he has to hold himself back from screaming at the irony. _Of course_ he gets _her_ letter.

_Hello, person who reads this :)_

_I don’t really know what I want to share. I feel like I can’t share much at all these days. I have multiple friends I can talk to, but I can’t tell them everything. Same goes for my family. I really, really want to, but I just can’t. It’s hard to explain._

_I just feel like I have too much going on right now and it’s driving me insane. It feels like I’m carrying the weight of the world on my shoulders. That I’m disappointing one of my best friends. I want to be the best person I can be for others, but I just can’t do that all day, every day. And I guess I’ve been struggling with that more and more._

_I’ve probably shared too much. But it actually feels kind of nice to finally get it off my chest. I probably sound crazy right now haha. It’s probably hard to understand what I’m saying, but maybe that’s for the best since it’s supposed to be anonymous._

_I guess I just feel a little overwhelmed by everything at the moment. But who doesn’t from time to time? I’ll feel better eventually, I know I will! Just got to stay positive! Same goes for you with whatever you are dealing with currently. In the darkest of times, we need to look for the light, right? ;p_

_I just want to say: thank you for reading this. I hope you got to let your feelings out, too._

Adrien re-reads the letter a couple of times, his frown deepening every time he finishes it. This must be hers, right? She’s talking about her responsibilities as Ladybug that she can’t share with anyone… right? He’s glad she got the opportunity to let out her feelings, but he wishes she shared this with _him_. While he already knows there are things she doesn’t tell him, he did hope that… what exactly? He doesn’t really know, honestly. The only thing he knows, is that they’re supposed to be a team. Thus, they need to share these kind of things. Yet they don’t.

Should he confront her? That kind of throws away the purpose of the _anonymity_ of the letter. Perhaps he can just subtly tell her that she can confide in him when she needs to. Yeah, that can work.

* * *

Adrien sits outside the school building, waiting for a pair of pigtails to bounce by. He never really paid attention to it, but now he sees that they _do_ bounce! It warms his heart for some reason.

“See you later, girl! And remember what I told you, okay?” Alya gives her friend a stern look and Marinette nods in response.

“Of course. Now go home, you said you need to help your sister!”

She groans. “Yeah, yeah. Well, bye then!"

With another wave to Alya, Marinette turns in his direction to go home and smiles when she sees him. “Oh, hey Adrien! Or more like bye, since, you know, I’m going home.” She ends with a nervous giggle. While she has been warming up to him, her shyness around him has not disappeared as of yet. But he supposes it’s to be expected, it’s not something that goes away in one day.

“Hi. Seeing Alya later?”

She eyes him with one eyebrow raised. “Uhm, we’re probably going to video chat tonight while doing girly things, like we usually do on Thursdays. You know; doing our nails, talking about boys…”

Marinette halts her own word vomit and becomes impossibly red in the cheeks. Adrien sees this as a time to tease her. “Any particular boys pop up in the conversation?” He smirks at her and lowers himself a little closer to her face.

Her eyes widen and the redness spreads to her neck. “Y-you- I-I, w-what I wanted to s-say was... Y-you’re mean!” She hides her face in her hands and turns her back to him. Adrien laughs loudly.

“We’ll get back to that.”

“Absolutely not! What do you want from me?” She gains back the confidence to look him in the eye, pouting her lips.

Adrien noticed that while teasing and challenging her initially make the shyness worse, she eventually comes out of her shell to fight back. Kind of the same when he met Ladybug for the first time, he realizes…

“All joking aside,” he starts. “I want to talk to you for second, if that’s okay?”

Marinette blinks a few times. “Sure. What’s up?”

“I could be wrong… and I don’t want to freak you out, but… I think I read your letter today.”

“Wha-”

“I just want to say, that… while you might not be able to tell me everything, I want you to trust me and feel safe with me, because I am your friend. If you ever need some time to let it all out, then you can talk to me, all right?”

It takes her a few seconds to get out of her trance fixated on him, and then she nods. “I… okay. I will. Thank you.”

Adrien smiles at her. “Of course. By the way, my father’s always busy with a new line this time of year and then he is mostly cooped up in his office and a little more… ‘loose’ with me, so… If you ever want to come by or maybe join a photoshoot again or something… then now is the perfect time to tag along. Deal?”

She immediately nods enthusiastically. “I’ll definitely take you up on that! Last time it was so fun watching you get shot- I mean! Not shot as in shot-shot with a gun, but shot as in a photoSHOOT, you know? I don’t want you to get shot by a gun. That would be super-duper bad and… Ugh, I’ll just stop talking now…”

Adrien shakes his in head amusement. “I’ll let you know our next date.”

“D-date? Us? I thought you-”

He shakes his head frantically. “N-no, I meant date as in date of time. The next date of the _photoshoot_.”

“Oh, right…”

The disappointment is evident in her voice and Adrien mentally smacks himself.

_You could have turned that down a little less panicked. Save the conversation, now!_

“It can be, though. If you want to.”

_Did I do well? Is this what she wants from me?_

“Are you sure? Last time, you said-”

“I know, I know, and I still stand by that.” He drags his hand down his face. “However, I do really _want_ to. It’s just that it’s not really fair to you.”

“What isn’t fair to me?”

He looks down at his shoes. “Just like you, there are… some things I can’t say.”

It turns quiet after that, and slightly awkward. Adrien doesn’t know what to say to make it better, but Marinette seems to have figured something out.

“If you’re not ready, then you’re not ready,” she says with a determined look, grasping one of his hands. “Let’s just call all our outings a friend-date, all right? Then you can call it a date-date whenever _you_ want to. No pressure.”

Adrien sighs. “I don’t want you to feel sad by-”

She shushes him. “I understand, and that’s very sweet of you. But this goes both ways. I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable, so we’re not doing anything you’re not ready for. And that’s all I’m going to say on the matter.” She squeezes his hand and rubs her thumb over his palm before letting go and turning towards her house. “I need to go now. You text me when you got a date for the photoshoot.”

“I will!” He waves at her before turning away himself, heading for the direction of his car, which – he realizes now – must have been waiting for quite some time. His driver glares at him and Adrien smiles at him apologetically. It seems to do the trick, since the corners of the driver’s mouth quirk up just a smidge.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Honestly, don't worry about me lol. I'm not pressuring myself to write faster. It needs to stay fun, right? I just update as fast as I want to. 
> 
> Hope you enjoyed! :)


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